Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though they had yet to see any play due to the fact he hadn't challenged anyone to a Gift Game, Vahn actually had quite a number of Game Boards at his disposal. They were effectively just Reality Marbles, so, thanks to the research he and Da Vinci had performed back in the Nasuverse, he could basically create as many as he wanted.Simply put, Vahn had a number of Game Boards that would either equalize the playing field or give the members of his Community an advantage. This included a world of ice and darkness for Fenrir, a planet filled with gold, gems, and other treasures for Seraphina, and a watery planet filled with a ton of mountainous islands for Hime.Under normal circumstances, Vahn wouldn't have minded giving Seraphina the advantage against Izayoi. Since they had agreed to settle things fair and square, however, he made use of his personal Game Board, an extra-dimensional space inspired by his homeworld of Danmachi. This included an exact replica of every location he had ever visited, and, for a variety of different uses, a perfect copy of the Great Dungeon, Tartarus.Since there were no upper limits regarding how long a Gift Game could go on, Vahn had designed his own Game Board with the notion of either breaking down or empowering his opponents. Their only objectives were to reach the bottom of the Dungeon or survive for a total of ten years within the simulated space. This was made possible thanks to a tremendous amount of time dilation, and, more importantly, remarkably high stakes.So long as a challenger could complete the Dungeon within ten years, Vahn would reward them with 1 S-Rank, 3 A-Rank, 10 B-Rank, and 100 C-Rank Gifts. If this proved impossible, each of the members who managed to survive the full ten years would be given the opportunity to participate in a Gift Lottery. In other words, so long as they persisted until the end, anyone participating in his Gift Game would receive a reward while also having their strength and mentality strengthened by the trials they faced within.While it would have probably done Izayoi some good to challenge the Dungeon, the location of his and Seraphina duel was the Colosseum owned and operated by the Ganesha Familia. This wasn't an exaggeration either, as, in the process of creating his personalized Game Board, Vahn had basically plagiarized the Hidden Floor of the Hell Train to create Pseudo-Memory Fragments of every person, God, and even animal he had ever encountered. The only notable difference was, here in this world, he, Vahn Aldrnari Mason, had never existed. Instead, he was basically an unseen, all-powerful God watching over the world and controlling its very fate from the shadows.........Looking around at the crowd of fifty-thousand people, Izayoi would be lying if he said he wasn't feeling a little nervous. He wasn't shy, persay. Rather, whenever there were a lot of people watching him, he felt compelled to act and behave a certain way.Though Vahn had told him that everyone within the Game Board was basically a Phantom, the aura they gave off was indistinguishable from real, living people. It was actually a little terrifying, as, for a very brief moment, Izayoi couldn't help thinking he might be a phantom in someone else's world...Fortunately, such thoughts didn't persist for long, as, shortly after his own introduction, the burly man wearing an elephant mask introduced his opponent.Though he would never admit it, Izayoi actually felt a bit of envy as he watched Seraphina descend from the sky like a fallen angel. She and Black Rabbit were two of the most beautiful women he had ever seen yet both were head over heels for the same person. It was honestly a little infuriating, not because he wanted to replace Vahn, but because he had never been fond of the idea of a harem or two-timing. It was one of the only reasons he was still single, as, back in his own world, he had been more than a little popular with brats, girls his own age, and even adults.As cheesy as it might sound, Izayoi genuinely believed that true love was something that could only be experienced between two people. He wasn't going to go out of his way to tell others how they should live. That was far too troublesome. If anything, he just felt sorry for Vahn, the girls involved with him, and any children they were unfortunate enough to produce. They might be happy, sure, but they would never be as happy as if they were a normal family...Exhaling a sigh, Izayoi's body flashed as he evaded a veritable deluge of pink lasers that had been fired at him by Seraphina. He wasn't exactly familiar with the getup, but she was currently wearing an outfit similar to the one she had worn during her first encounter with Vahn. This consisted of a brasier-like top with spaghetti straps, a multi-layered yet remarkably short skirt, a feather mantle, and various accessories reminiscent of butterflies. The biggest difference was that she allowed her wings, tail, and horns to show as she was no longer even remotely ashamed of being a Succubus."Die you porcupine bastard~!"Though she was capable of performing attacks that could vaporize planets and even collapse stars, using them required a tremendous amount of energy and resources. It might sound ridiculous, but her power was intrinsically related to the amount of wealth in her possession. This was how she had managed to bankrupt her planet in the past. She had just been named an Overlord, and, as a result, she ended up showing off a little too much. By the time she had realized her mistake, Gorgeous, her homeworld, had effectively become a barren and lifeless planet as even the metals making up their liquid core had been exhausted due to her carelessness.Now that she had Vahn, Seraphina no longer had to worry about exhausting her fortune. She just didn't want to 'waste' it on someone like Izayoi. Thus, rather than going all out from the start, she took advantage of the fact she could fly to zip around the Colosseum at hypersonic speeds as she peppered the landscape with highly penetrative laser beams."Come on, little boy~! Is running the only thing you know how to do~?"With a visible tick mark appearing on his head, Izayoi surprised Seraphina by standing his ground and punching the lasers fired from her pistols. The strange thing about this was the fact that the entire beam shattered like a piece of glass rather than being deflected or absorbed. Then, without waiting for her to recover from her stupor, he shouted, "You better dodge...!" before throwing the pebbles he had been picking up while dodging.Though Izayoi's windup wasn't particularly impressive, a peculiar high-pitched sound was produced when he released the stones from his hand. If he had loosed them normally, they might not even be traveling at a rate comparable to a professional athlete. The moment the sound occurred, however, the pebbles effectively converted to beams of energy as they instantaneously accelerated to around ten percent the speed of light.With her pupils shrinking to the side of pinholes, Seraphina began taking evasive action, exclaiming, "What the hell!?" in a shrill, slightly panicked tone. In response, Izayoi began to laugh as he hurled stone after stone, musing, "What's the matter? You looked like you were having fun when I wasn't attacking. What? Did you think I was just going to keep standing here as you attempted to turn my body into swiss cheese?"Clicking her tongue, Seraphina waited until Izayoi had to 'reload' before dispersing her pistols and shouting, "Screw you, you edgy brat...!"Seeing Seraphina reached into her brasier-like top, Izayoi couldn't help exclaiming, "What the hell!? Is your bra a freakin' pocket dimension!?" as she produced a bomb more than twice the size of her body. It was one of the most ridiculous things he had ever seen, but, more importantly, the hair on the back of his neck immediately stood on end."Well, this isn't good..."Despite his words, Izayoi adopted an amateurish martial arts stance as Seraphina tossed the bomb towards him before immediately disappearing in a flash of pink light. At the same time, the crowd was literally going wild as Izayoi jumped into the air, a heroic cry emanating from his throat as he attempted to punch the oversized bomb into oblivion. Unfortunately, much like a Prinny, the bomb immediately exploded the moment his fist contacted its surface.Thanks to the phenomenally powerful barrier surrounding the field, the audience was completely unscathed as a pillar of pink light extending from the ground to the heavens dominated the arena. It was almost like watching a God return to Heaven, but, instead of a mere 5m across, the pillar was the exact diameter of the arena as it extended beyond the atmosphere and into deep space.Appearing shortly after the pillar of light faded away, Seraphina wiped away a bit of sweat from her brow as she mumbled, "That was a close shave. If I didn't have my Pocket Netherworld, I might have been done in by my own att-!?"Before she could finish complaining, Seraphina's pupils shrank to the size of pinholes as a bloodied figure appeared behind her, saying, "Checkmate." with a devilish grin on its face.Though he would prefer not to strike women, Izayoi had always considered himself a champion of gender equality. Thus, after a very brief moment of hesitation, his fist glowed with a pale white light as he slugged Seraphina in the cheek with enough force to send her spiraling into the ground like a projectile fired from a railgun. He wasn't sure how durable she was, but, considering she was able to dodge around and change direction instantaneously, she shouldn't be weak.With that in mind, Izayoi landed on the ground before whistling at the rather sizeable dust cloud Seraphina's landing had caused. He had never used this much strength before so it wasn't much of an exaggeration to say he was just as surprised as everyone else. Of course, the thing that surprised him most of all was the fact that, despite his injuries, he still had a lot more to give...Unfortunately for Izayoi, he would have to wait until a later date to discover the true limits of his power. Seraphina hated taking damage, but, far more than that, she hated being struck in the face. She was, after all, the self-proclaimed most beautiful woman in the three realms. Thus, the moment Izayoi punched her, all the limiters that had been placed on her power spontaneously shattered as a veritable tempest of pink, purple, and black energy began to swirl around her body."I think I made her-"Before Izayoi could even finish his statement, Seraphina appeared right in front of him, her hand gripping his face as she coldly stated, "Die."Without waiting for Izayoi's response, a massive energy blast was released from Seraphina's palm that cut through Izayoi, the barrier, the Colosseum, Orario, and several mountains as if they simply didn't exist. She hadn't been elevated to the status of a Supreme Overlord merely as a result of her wealth and influence. It was because she had literally subjugated more than a thousand Overlords, several of which would be classified as Star-Class Demons within the Divine Realm.Though she had to exhaust most of her existing treasury, Seraphina simply snorted when the dust cleared to reveal what remained of Izayoi. Everything above his navel had simply been erased, and, were it not for the fact they were effectively in a digitalized space, no amount of healing would have been able to restore him to life."This is what you deserve for daring to strike me in the face. Return to the dirt, you worm...!"Punctuating her words, Seraphina released another energy blast, this time producing a sphere of vibrant pink energy that radiated purple and black lightning. When it faded away, all traces of the blond-haired youth, and much of the arena, had vanished without a trace.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn misses his home...','Kazuma approves...!','I would tell you to run, but it's far too late for that...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

"...!?"Snapping his eyes open, Izayoi lurched into a seated position, hands shooting up to his face as if to confirm his head was still there."You were screwed from the start, but you really shouldn't have struck her in the face. Seraphina is rightfully proud of her looks..."Extending a hand, Vahn helped Izayoi stand before patting the young man on the back. The Game Boards were indistinguishable from reality, so, while he was perfectly fine, it wasn't an exaggeration to say he had just experienced having his head blown off. He seemed to be taking it well but it was better to be safe than sorry.Returning a wry smile, Izayoi replied, "Yeah, I kind of got the message when she blew my head off..."While chuckling at the blond-haired youth's expense, Vahn turned to Asuka and Yo, a teasing smile developing across his face as he asked, "So? Still want a turn of your own...?"After seeing the superhuman battle between Izayoi and Seraphina, Asuka's confidence had been thoroughly thwarted. Her abilities primarily revolved around controlling and commanding others, be they human, animal, or even plant to do her bidding. Prior to meeting Vahn, she had believed this ability to be infallible. Now, she was beginning to realize that it was an ability that pits her willpower against her target. In other words, the moment she tried to use it against someone with greater willpower than herself, she might as well be a normal, albeit athletic human girl."No, thank you. I have no way to deal with Seraphina's laser beams so I'm going to have to pass on this particular opportunity."Adopting a highly practiced, business-like smile, Asuka attempted to take a step back with her dignity intact. This earned her an amused smile from Vahn, but, for the sake of her dignity, she pretended not to notice it.Resisting the urge to verbally tease the former heiress, Vahn shifted his attention to Yo to hear her answer. To the surprise of everyone present, she had a slightly serious expression on her face as she said, "I would like to fight against you. If I win, please become my friend."Punctuating her words with a courteous bow, Yo's sincerity was transmitted to virtually everyone present. As for Vahn, a casual smile developed across his face as he stated, "I may be an Emperor, but I rarely present myself as an untouchable existence. If you want to be friends, I am more than happy to oblige. There is no need to force yourself to this extent. Besides, even if you managed to borrow a bit of power from Fenrir, it wouldn't be enough. At your current level, you could exhaust yourself and still be unable to move me from my starting position..."Though she was more than a little surprised to hear Vahn casually reveal the secret of her Gift, Yo's expression didn't change. She still wanted to try, so, without any fear or hesitation in her eyes, she said, "Please..." before lowering her head a second time.........Seeing Yo dash around in a revealing outfit that greatly resembled a skinned version of Fenrir in her Vanargandr transformation, Vahn couldn't help smiling wryly. She looked like a little Berserker, but, instead of an ax or a club, she had scaled gauntlets that ended in remarkably sharp claws.As said claws traced toward his throat, Vahn's expression remained unchanged even as they sliced across the right side of his neck. This wasn't the first time Yo had tried to attack him, yet, despite her best efforts, he remained in his starting position without even a hint of injury. He wasn't cheating by making himself invulnerable, either. She simply lacked the strength required to pierce his defenses.Furrowing her brows, Yo didn't let up in her assault. Instead, she twisted her body like a bow before sweeping her leg towards the left side of his face. This also failed to get Vahn to budge, so, with the intent of catching him by surprise, a large volume of ice elemental energy erupted from her foot. It ended up encasing his head completely, but, as if it wasn't any concern at all, Vahn just stood there with his hands behind his back.Having zero experience manipulating mana, Yo sprawled out on the ground immediately following her failed attack. She immediately noticed that her right leg was frozen up to her thigh, but, despite the paradoxically fiery yet numb sensation climbing up her leg, her expression was more pouty than pained.Though it wasn't absolutely necessary, Vahn took a knee before placing his palm on Yo's outer thigh and dispersing the ice elemental energy before it could penetrate her bones and freeze the marrow within. He could have achieved a similar result without any contact whatsoever, but, curious to learn whether or not the young brunette could actually draw power from him, a bit of skinship would aid her quite a bit. From her perspective, he was basically just an animal so it really didn't matter all that much. Rather, if he allowed her to, Vahn could easily imagine Yo trying to pet him if he appeared in one of his dragon transformations...Feeling the pain in her leg dissipate almost instantaneously, a smile developed across Yo's face as she cheekily yet softly mused, "You moved..."Chuckling in response to the surprisingly mischievous remark, Vahn adopted a smile of his own as he extended his hand and said, "Congratulations. You're one of the few people in history to have defeated the Sage Dragon Emperor. Shall we advertise it to the rest of the Little Garden?"Accepting Vahn's hand, a subtle blush developed across Yo's face as she answered, "I'd rather not. I don't really like attention..."Since she still had her Vanargandr outfit on, Vahn ruffled the wolf head atop Yo's as he said, "I guess I get to preserve my dignity then. If people learned I was defeated by a little girl, I would never hear the end of it. Here, consider this an expression of my gratitude."Pulling out a violet Gift Card, Vahn handed it over to the befuddled Yo with a smile. He didn't know the specifics, but he was pretty sure he had figured out her Gift. She was able to mimic the traits of 'animals' she had befriended. So long as she had enough spiritual energy, she could also transform into a form that made it easier for her to channel said abilities. He suspected there was more to it, but, even if that wasn't the case, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Yo's Gift was one of the most powerful and versatile he had ever seen.Reading the text on the Gift Card, Yo's eyes practically produced stars as an uncharacteristically vivacious smile developed across her face. It was a Gift related to the Grooming ability Vahn had developed back in Danmachi. In other words, so long as she treated her 'friends' with care, they would be able to grow stronger alongside her.Though Yo seemed oblivious to it, Vahn had taken notice of the fact that Calico Cat was already nearing the end of its life. If he had to guess, it was a little over fourteen years old. He could easily extend its lifespan on his own, but, for the sake of supplanting Yo's existing abilities, Vahn decided to secretly entrust the task to her."Thank you, Vahn. I promise to use it well."Emulating Asuka, Yo crossed her hands over her lap before offering an even more courteous bow than the ones she had supplied previously. This earned her an approving smile from Vahn, but, at the same time, he couldn't help looking behind her at the wolf-like tail wagging happily despite not being attached to her body.........Exiting the Game Board, Vahn was unsurprised to see Izayoi grinning at him with his hands in his pockets. Before he could say anything, however, Vahn beat him to the punch, stating, "Don't bark if you're too afraid to bite. If you're that eager for another lesson, I have the Game Board right here."Raising his hands in a gesture of mock surrender, Izayoi maintained his smile as he mocked, "Wow, someone's testy. I didn't even say anything. No need to bite my head off..."Realizing what he had just said, an imperceptible shudder ran through Izayoi's body. He had literally just had his head blown off, so, while his words were intended as a joke, they now carried a certain weight behind them.Fortunately for Izayoi, Vahn had already escorted Seraphina back to her room. There was a very real chance she might attack him in the real world if she heard what he said, so, for the time being, Vahn intended to prevent the two from interacting with one another.With that in mind, Vahn figured he might as well ignore the youth as well. To that end, he shifted his attention to Yo, who, at the present moment, was currently being stared up and down by Fenrir and Asuka. The former had a slightly annoyed look on her face due to the fact Yo's outfit resembled her a little too much. As for Asuka, she had a troubled look on her face as she cupped her cheek and asked, "Yo...isn't this outfit a little too revealing...?"As she hadn't really inspected herself, Yo just tilted her head to the side before looking down at her outfit. Her top and bottom were basically just tattered rags and a loincloth that left very little to the imagination. She hadn't noticed it at first, but she wasn't even wearing panties. This caused a ruddy hue to spread across her face as most of her attacks against Vahn had been kicks.Covering her face with both hands, Yo deactivated her transformation as even the tips of her ears glowed red. It didn't help that Fenrir placed her paw on her shoulder, saying, "Don't worry. Master is skilled at producing undergarments. I'll ask him to give you a [REquip] System so you don't end up flashing people."Plopping onto the ground, Yo continued to conceal her face for several minutes as she imagined everyone seeing her exposed bottom. Fortunately, the Game Boards designed by Vahn had a built-in modesty function, so, even if someone were completely naked, impenetrable shadows or beams of light would appear to protect their dignity. It didn't cover absolutely everything, but, compared to being completely exposed, it was inarguably better than nothing.........After sending off the problem children with a smile, Vahn, Black Rabbit, and Fenrir retired to the nursery to spend time with the kittens and discuss the trio's reception into the No Names.Despite his cocky and brash nature, Izayoi was apparently very good with children. Black Rabbit revealed how she had detected him patrolling around the estate while most people were sleeping. He was apparently worried that the goons of Fores Garo would try something before the Gift Game, so, despite joining the Community hours prior, Izayoi stayed up all night to make sure nothing bad happened as a result of his, Asuka's, and Yo's carelessness.Since Izayoi gave off a very warm and friendly aura in spite of his behavior, Vahn wasn't all that surprised by Black Rabbit's revelations. The blond-haired youth was basically just a male version of a Tsundere. What did surprise him was the fact that Asuka had decided to sleep in the same room as some of the younger children. As for Yo, she had spent the evening making friends with Lily, the various Fox Spirits, and most of the children with animalistic traits. Her entire reason for coming to the Divine Realm was to make one hundred friends, so, despite being much older than the average member of the No Names, she was doing her best to befriend each and every one of them.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Yo be like, "You will be my friend..."','Just imagine if I had given her Fenrir's original outfit. She just might explode...','The legendary male tsundere o_o...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Just as Vahn was beginning to wonder whether or not she would show up, Black Rabbit appeared alongside Asuka, Yo, and Izayoi. This confused him at first, but, considering she might be trying to smooth things over between him and the Problem Children, Vahn manifested in the foyer with a smile, saying, "Welcome back. I see you've brought guests. Will they be joining us for breakfast?"After a sleepless night, not that she actually required rest, Black Rabbit felt considerable relief just hearing Vahn's voice. As a result, she ended up hugging him in front of the marginally stunned trio before nestling her face into his chest and saying, "I missed you..."With his expression softening, Vahn returned Black Rabbit's embrace for several seconds before gently coaxing her toward the dining room as he looked back at the trio and said, "Come along. There's plenty to go around."Though they each looked like they had something to say, especially Asuka and Izayoi, the trio of Problem Children ultimately followed along without a fuss. When they saw the five girls gathered around the dining table, however, Izayoi couldn't help remarking, "Wow. Are these the members of your Community? They look more like a harem to me."Since Sarina and Nono were at the table, Vahn sent a glare towards Izayoi as he said, "Keep talking, brat. I'm curious to see how deep of a hole you'll dig before you realize you're in over your head..."Holding his hands up in a gesture of mock surrender, Izayoi maintained a smile as he said, "Whoa there. It was just a joke. No need to bite my head off."Unamused by Izayoi's behavior, Seraphina's expression soured as she asked, "Who is this imbecile?"Meeting Seraphina's gaze, Izayoi was about to retort when Vahn appeared right in front of him in an instant, saying, "I'm very protective of my women, especially my wives. Choose your next words very carefully."Though a part of him wanted to slug Vahn in the face, the cold sweat sweeping across Izayoi's body compelled him to deescalate things. To this end, his smile became noticeably wry as he said, "You're a lucky man. If I had a wife as beautiful as pinky over there, I'd probably never leave home."While she didn't appreciate being called pinky, Seraphina's impression of Izayoi improved quite a bit in response to the rest of his words. As a result, she directed her attention towards Asuka and Yo, an appraising glimmer in her eyes as she asked, "Who are these two young ladies? They don't seem particularly impressive."Though she couldn't help furrowing her brows, Asuka still puffed out her chest confidently as she replied, "How rude. Isn't it common sense to give your own before asking the names of others? As the wife of someone who refers to themselves as the Sage Dragon Emperor, shouldn't you have at least a basic sense of propriety?"Resisting the urge to whip out her pistols and shoot Asuka in the face, Seraphina's brows twitched as she looked towards Vahn and asked, "Where did you pick up this brat? She's more arrogant than those assholes in Heaven."After chuckling at Asuka's expense, Vahn casually explained, "These are the newest members of the No Name Community. The boy with the headphones is Sakamaki Izayoi. As for these two, the one with the attitude problem is Kudou Asuka while the one with the cat is Kasukabe Yo. Try not to take anything they say to heart. They came from relatively normal worlds and are still adapting to life in the Divine Realm."Raising his hand in a casual manner, Izayoi supplanted Vahn's introduction with a simple, "Yo. Nice to meet you." while Asuka simply snorted in a haughty manner with her arms crossed. As for Yo, she didn't say anything at all. Instead, she continued to stare at Fenrir with the closest approximation to a serious expression she could manage.Since they had been staring at each other for quite some time, Fenrir took advantage of the lull in the conversation to ask, "Do you want to touch them...?"Though most of the people present were confused, Vahn chuckled in amusement as Yo nodded her head, her tone serious and eager as she asked, "May I...?"Rather than answering herself, Fenrir looked towards her Master for permission. This caused Yo to shift her attention to him, a silent plea hidden within her hazel eyes. Fortunately for her, Vahn had a much better impression of her than Asuka and Izayoi, so, without having to contemplate his answer, he said, "If she allows it, you may pet her. However, you must always respect her wishes. If she tells you to stop, you must immediately do so."Offering a delicate smile in response to Vahn's words, Yo placed Calico Cat on the ground before approaching Fenrir and asking, "May I touch your ears?"Nodding her head, Fenrir replied with a curt, "Umu..." before leaning her head forward and allowing Yo to do as she pleased. To her surprise, Yo's caress was very comfortable. It was nothing compared to her Master but it was pretty easy to speculate she had a Gift related to taming or an inordinately high affinity with nature.While Yo was lost in her own little world, Vahn invited everyone to take a seat after a quick round of introductions. Delicious food was one of the best things when it came to easing tensions, so, for the sake of Black Rabbit, Vahn presented the trio with some of his best breakfast dishes before asking, "So? What are your first impressions of the Little Garden and the Divine Realm? I heard you already got into a bit of a spat with a rival Community. What was that about?"Since the Geass Roll prevented them from discussing the specifics with unrelated parties, Izayoi just shrugged, saying, "Just some rapacious tiger coveting the flesh of little lambs and big rabbits. Don't worry. We'll be sure to teach him a lesson he'll never forget."Raising his brows, Vahn shifted his attention to Black Rabbit to find her pouting with an angry look on her face. This was quite adorable, but, at the same time, it caused a cold sensation to wash over Vahn's mind as he asked, "Someone tried to target you?"Relaxing the moment Vahn shifted his attention towards her, Black Rabbit raised her hands in an expression of helplessness as she replied, "People are always targeting me. I get proposed to or invited to join a Community every time I officiate a Gift Game. I'm used to it."Though he was already made aware of this, Vahn couldn't help frowning. It was to be expected that people in the lower-digit gates would target Black Rabbit. After all, she was the last Moon Rabbit in the Divine Realm. What annoyed him was a lesser Community thinking they could do the same. Not because they weren't entitled to be a little ambitious, but because it was suicide to pick a fight with Thousand Eyes over 'ownership' of the last surviving Moon Rabbit.As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn asked, "When is the Gift Game scheduled to take place. I'm interested in observing."Feeling considerably better now that she knew Galdo had garnered Vahn's ire, Black Rabbit happily chimed, "It's supposed to take place tonight. We won't know the full details until we arrive, but the basic format is Capture the Flag. What form the flag takes and what it will be used for are up to the Fores Garo Community to decide.""Hmm..."With Black Rabbit mentioning the name Fores Garo, the image of a tanned man with a lightning-like cowlick entered Vahn's mind. Fores Garo was one of the Communities that had been lying low ever since he began spreading his influence. Now he knew why."Based on what I recall, the Leader of Fores Garo isn't particularly strong. You should assume they will employ some kind of trick. They might try to limit the number of participants or make it so that the 'flag' is-""Hey, now. We came here for a challenge. Where's the fun in having someone spoil the surprise?"Though he had been taken aback by how delicious Vahn's food was, that didn't stop Izayoi from interrupting him. He already had low expectations for the tiger man that had been pinned to the ground with relative ease by Yo. The last thing he wanted was someone offering them advice on how to defeat a weakling."Rude boy. You dare interrupt my darling when he's speaking? If you have a death wish, I wouldn't mind granting it."Without missing a beat, Izayoi adopted the kind of look traditionally attributed to battle junkies as he said, "Try me, Pinky."With literal flames in her eyes, Seraphina looked towards Vahn, shouting, "Vahn! Let me teach this brat a lesson! I won't stand for such brazen behavior! You went out of your way to invite the oaf to join us for breakfast and this is how he behaves!? It's simply unacceptable...!""Hmm..."Rather than immediately refuse Seraphina's request, Vahn caressed his chin in contemplation. This left Black Rabbit feeling nervous, a fretful expression developing across her face as she exclaimed, "Please don't fight! We're all friends here! Besides, Izayoi has an important Gift Game to participate in this evening! At least wait until tomorrow before you start trying to tear each other apart...!"Gesturing for silence, Vahn helped to allay Black Rabbit's concerns by offering a gentle smile. In the very next instant, however, he left Black Rabbit slamming her head into the table as he teased, "So long as he doesn't have his existence erased, I can heal him.""You serious? Guess that means I can go all out without holding anything back, huh?"Though he was starting to feel as though he had stepped on a landmine, that didn't prevent a grin from developing across Izayoi's face. He had always been curious about the limits of his power, so, now that he had a chance to go all out, he was looking forward to it. At the very least, he could tell the pink-haired woman seated across from him was a lot weaker than Vahn. Fighting her would be a good way to see how he stacked up against less ridiculous powerhouses.Unamused by Izayoi's confident stare, Seraphina crossed her arms before harumphing haughtily and saying, "Look all you like, brat. I'm way out of your league."Adopting a slightly incredulous look, Izayoi was tempted to ask if Seraphina was soft in the head before Vahn silenced him with a commanding, "Finish eating. Once we're finished here, the two of you can settle things on one of the custom Game Boards I've been working on. I don't want to hear any more arguing at the table. It spoils the taste of the food.""Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Your Imperial Majesty. You won't hear me complaining about a free meal. This stuff is delicious, by the way."Grasping Seraphina's hand beneath the table, Vahn prevented her from lashing out as he said, "I'm glad you think you so. I put a lot of effort into it."Blinking in surprise, it was Asuka who asked, "You cooked this yourself? Don't you have like a Chef or something...?"Though the image of Rindo briefly appeared within his mind, Vahn rolled his eyes before explaining, "If you end up becoming immortal and living forever, you'll quickly learn how mundane life can be if you leave everything to others. I may be an Emperor, but I'm also one of the greatest Blacksmiths, Physicians, Mages, Chefs, and Craftsmen across all realities. I have so many skills and abilities that you would literally need an eternal life just to hear me list each of them. Besides, I enjoy seeing the reaction of people when they eat my food. It makes the effort more than worth it."Not expecting such a response, Asuka found herself at a loss for words as she stared down at the various dishes laid out before her. She was generally a light eater, but, after tasting Vahn's food, she ended up clearing four plates before she even realized it...While Asuka was lost in thought, Yo adopted a friendly smile as she chewed on a piece of pancake and stated, "It's delicious." in a sincere tone. This earned her a return smile from Vahn, who, in an equally sincere tone, answered, "Thank you, Yo. I'm glad you're enjoying it. Feel free to stop by in the future. We always have room for polite young girls like you."Smiling even more radiantly than before, Yo replied with a monotone yet audibly happy "Nn~." before proceeding to bite into a piece of baked golden apple. Even if Vahn hadn't invited her back, she would have stopped by to ask Fenrir if she could brush her hair. Now that she had a legitimate excuse, her already pleasant had mood improved quite a bit.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Galdo is so screwed...','Izayoi's death seeking is leveling up...','Yo be like, "This is an absolute win."')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 2102: All's Fair in Love and War